1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to glove apparatus and, more particularly, to glove apparatus designed for use by weightlifters when doing presses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known and understood that gloves of various types are used by athletes for different athletic endeavors. For example, various types of gloves are used by golfers, by bowlers, and by baseball players. In addition, different types of training gloves are used by basketball players, bowlers, and other types of athletes where it is desired that the palm of a hand not contact a ball. Examples of various types of such gloves in the prior art are given below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,915,617 discloses a type of glove used for golf. U.S. Pat. No. 2,554,991 discloses another type of glove used in golfing. U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,970 discloses another type of special glove which may be worn by a boxer, as when sparring, etc. The glove includes a bulge or padded portion across the palm and across the back of the wrist. U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,680 discloses a glove designed for bowling. U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,160 discloses another type of glove designed for bowling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,573 discloses palm covering apparatus used for training purposes. The apparatus includes a wedge disposed over the palm so that the palm of the hand does not contact the ball, but rather the ball is limited in its contact area to the thumb and fingers of the user. The glove apparatus of the '573 patent is designed to promote finger control in such sports as basketball, football, volleyball, and baseball.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,773 discloses another type of training glove for athletes in which a wedge-shaped element is used to prevent contact between the ball and the palm of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,704 discloses another type of bowling glove.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,614 discloses a padded glove designed for quarterbacks in football. The glove includes a raised pad portion disposed at the upper portion of the palm and adjacent to the base of the fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,270 discloses another type of bowling glove.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,706 discloses yet another type of bowling glove which includes a compressible pad portion at the palm of the glove. The compressible portion acts as a spring to aid in the release of the bowling ball and to accelerate the ball upon its release.
Another type of bowling glove is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,472. A pocket is included in the palm of the glove to receive a wedge. The wedge may be oriented differently, depending on what type of spin or the amount of spin that a user wishes to place on the ball. In addition, a spring steel insert provides stiffening to assist the user in keeping the wrist straight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,913 discloses a protective glove designed for skateboarders in which the finger and palm portion of the glove are padded for protection of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,843 discloses a glove designed for a cyclist, with appropriate padding or lining designed to fit around the handlebar of a bicycle.
While the gloves discussed above in the various patents are all designed primarily for various types of athletic usages, none of them are designed to orient the hand in a particular manner for weightlifting purposes. The apparatus of the present invention is designed to be worn by a weightlifter when doing various kinds of presses in order to orient the hand correctly with respect to the wrist and forearms in order to minimize muscle strain and possible damage to muscles and bones.